Psychological Analysis of Fereydoun and Zahak's Personality Based on Abraham Maslow's Theory of Personality

The perfect man and the clear presentation of his personality are of the topics frequently discussed in the humanities, especially in literature and psychology. One of the theories of personality and new approaches in psychology is the theory of humanism in which man and his attainment of self-actualization are one of the important issues. In the view of humanists, Abraham Maslow's theory which is defined as a hierarchy of needs including physiological needs, security, love, respect, and self-fulfillment is of particular importance. This theory is justified by some literary works, such as Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, which has a human-centered nature. The analysis of the characters of this work shows that the Iranian man, Fereydoun, has achieved perfection in ancient times. This analysis corresponds to the patterns of the developed personality in the field of psychology. Among the characters of Shahnameh, Fereydoun is one of the most popular figures, whose characteristics of self-fulfillment are evident in his behavior and speech. Fereydoun's characteristics, at this level of needs, such as natural self-motivating and simplicity, make him to express his spiritual feelings and emotions; Like the feeling of grief over the death of "Barmayeh", his father, Iraj, and his natural reaction to the death of Salm and Toor.  Crossing the deep sea, as a symbol of the journey to self-discovery, and his true comprehension of the King of Yemen show Fereydoun's understanding of reality. Also, Fereydoun, by dividing the world among his three sons, resists the culture that governs society and creates a different rule in choosing a successor. To achieve the values ​​of existence - including justice - he ignores paternal feelings and helps Manouchehr in revenge. His other perfect characteristic is his attention to interpersonal relationships and his accuracy in choosing a spouse for his sons, in which race, color, and political affiliations do not matter. The power to distinguish between good and evil, as well as the distinction between means and ends, is of his other characteristics. Thus he makes the restraining of Zahak a means to a transcendent goal, the liberation of the people from tyranny. In contrast to Fereydoun is Zahak's character. Examining Zahak's personality shows his failure to meet the hierarchy of basic needs and not to go beyond the lowest levels of needs. Zahak's intense desire for delicious food, the growth of snakes on his shoulders, and the feeding of human brains on them are symbols of his hunger and insatiability. Gathering beautiful girls in a harem, homosexuality, or watching the sexual intercourse of others shows that Zahak is not met in sexual and consequently love and affection needs and so he is in the group of psychopaths.  The purpose of this article is to represent the character of Fereydoun and Zahak as an example, based on Maslow's theory, which can be a guide in examining all the characters of Shahnameh to find a perfect human being. Therefore, these two personalities are measured based on the characteristics of the Maslow pyramid. The present study, by examining the thoughts and behaviors of these two personalities, introduces Fereydoun as a model of self-fulfilling perfect man and Zahak as an example of personality non-flourishing.